New York To Raise Minimum Wage to $8, But It Still Pays to Live Elsewhere

Living in one of the country's most expensive states just got a little bit easier. The Associated Press reported Friday that New York will raise its minimum wage to $8 an hour. Though it's a boost, it's certainly not a huge one — the previous minimum wage for New York matched the national number, $7.25 an hour. The new increase comes as part of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's newly approved state budget, which promises for more increases over the next couple years.

So what does the future in minimum wage entail? Come 2014, New Yorkers can expect to make $8.75 an hour, and, come 2015, $9 an hour. But there are downsides to New York's minimum wage boosts — the state will still allow employers who receive tips to make just $5 per hour, leading some advocates to call for the state to revisit the budget in the next year. (According to Hunger Action Network, $8 is still a "sub-poverty" wage.) And as for that national number? Well, President Obama is still attempting to set the current minimum wage figure to $9 per hour, while protests across the country continue for Walmart and fast food employees.

And though, with this news, New York seems to certainly movin' on up, it still seems to pay more to live across the country in California. Not only because of the temperature, palm trees, and general positive state of being, but because the state plans to increase its minimum wage to $9 by 2014 and $10 by 2016. California... here we come?